Above – Rasharkin’s man of the Match Tiernan O’Boyle in action during his team’s team’s win
Young Rasharkin fans celebrate with the team after the cup presentation
P Graham Tarmac Junior Football Championship Final
Rasharkin 2-15 Éire Óg 0-13
Friday 16 October
Brendan McTaggart reports from Dunsilly
Rasharkin added the junior crown to the league title they won earlier this season thanks to a huge second half performance that saw them pull away from Éire Óg. Goals in either half from Eamon McNeill and Thomas Hasson laid the foundations for Rasharkin’s victory but it was the long range kicking of Tiernan O’Boyle that was the difference between the sides.
The Rasharkin midfielder hit four two pointers in a quite brilliant display with his two in the second half enforcing the Dreen teams dominance. Despite the scores being all square at the interval, Hasson’s early major and O’Boyle’s two pointers ensured they would be celebrating by the full time whistle.
The Óg’s more than contributed to an excellent final and for 15 minutes in the first half, they had Rasharkin shaken. The Dreen men found their rhythm early doors and it looked like it would be a comfortable evenings work for Cathal McMullan’s side.
The Derryiaghy men hit back with Eoin Dixon, Mark O’Hanlon, Conor McKenna and Conall Smyth all leading the charge as they reeled off seven scores and eight points unanswered.
Rasharkin were a different animal after half time, however. With O’Boyle’s brilliance from long range along with the midfield prowess of Oran McMullan, Rasharkin never looked behind them. Defensively, Pearce Kelly was outstanding, giving an exhibition from the full back line as the Óg’s tried to isolate Conor Dixon as much as they could.
The running power and speed of James Higgins and Cormac McMullan through the middle of the pitch ensured Rasharkin had an outlet to relieve any Éire Óg pressure while Ryan Doherty’s saves between the sticks went a long way in Rasharkin’s victory.
It was Éire Óg who scored the opening point of the game with Lorcan McIlroy splitting the uprights in the second minute. They showed a sign of their intent moments later when Ronan McKeown brought the best out of Doherty between the posts. Running on to a deft touch from McIlroy, McKeown’s effort was superbly saved by the Rasharkin goalkeeper.
Higgins split the uprights for Rasharkin in the sixth minute as they settled into their game before Oran McMullan rode a couple of big tackles and gave Rasharkin the lead with the next attack.
Brendan Shannon hit his first of two points by the eighth minute but Tiernan O’Boyle took centre stage to put some early daylight between the sides. Two huge two pointers in the space of two minutes had the Óg’s reeling before Eamon McNeill scored the opening goal of the final.
It was Cormac McMullan who read the break of the ball in the middle of the park and passed forward for McNeill. The Rasharkin man ran through and unleashed a thunderous, dipping effort to beat Jamie King between the sticks for the Óg’s.
Killian O’Boyle and Conall Smyth swapped points before Éire Óg had a sight of the Rasharkin goal once again. Smyth and Eoin Dixon before the Éire Óg midfielder blazed wide, much to the relief of the Rasharkin defence.
Conor Dixon struck the Óg’s fourth point of the final to leave six points between the sides just after the quarter hour mark but the Derryiaghy men were thrown a lifeline when Brian Óg O’Neill was black carded. With the numerical advantage and Rasharkin not organising properly, Éire Óg dominated the remainder of the half and played some clinical football.
A free from Conor Dixon preceded a free from outside the 40 meter arc from his brother, Eoin to leave three between the sides. Points followed from Smyth and Barry McDaid before Luca Mulholland’s goal bound effort saw Ryan Doherty called into action once again.
Eoin Dixon split the posts with the last score of the half, working a short ’45 with Mulholland before splitting the posts to leave the half tome score 1-7 to 0-10.
Rasharkin couldn’t get into the changing rooms quick enough while Éire Óg didn’t want the half to end.
The men from Dreen made a dream start to the second half with Thomas Hasson’s goal coming with the clock just ticking into the 32nd minute. Oran McMullan with the strong run through the heart of the Éire Óg defence and while his effort was well saved, Hasson was on hand to knock the rebound into the back of an empty net.
Éire Óg responded by Karl McKenna splitting the posts but they could have had a goal moments earlier. Conor Dixon’s effort for a point dipped viciously before coming back off the posts where McKenna blazed the round over the bar.
Tiernan O’Boyle’s third two pointer of the game, this one an absolutely huge effort that seemed to still be raising when it hit the ball catcher net put five between the side before Doherty was called into action once again. O’Hanlon finding Conor Dixon but yet again, the Rasharkin ‘keeper denied the Óg’s.
The Dreen men were playing the second half with more intensity and certainly not inviting Éire Óg onto their defence as much. Their ability to turn over ball higher up the pitch or force an error was paying dividends as they looked to put the game to bed.
Thomas Hasson and Eamon McNeill split the posts before Tiernan O’Boyle’s fourth two pointer of the final all but put the game to bed with a quarter of the final remaining.
Rasharkin were awarded a penalty when Thomas Hasson was upended when through on goal, but half time substitute’s effort from the resulting spot kick was well saved by Éire Óg ‘keeper Jamie King.
Credit to the Óg’s, they continued to look for the scores that would bring them back into the final but Rasharkin never looked troubled in the final ten minutes.
Brendan Shannon (free) and Ronan McKeown split the uprights either side of scored from Casey and Oran McMullan to give Rasharkin an eight point win and ensure the junior crown would reside in Dreen for the 2026 season.
TEAMS
Rasharkin Starting XV: Ryan Doherty; Liam Quigg, Fergus Quigg, Pearce Kelly; Thomas Hasson, Fearghal Kennedy, Colm Kennedy; Tiernan O’Boyle, Oran McMullan; Cormac McMullan, Eamon McNeill, James Higgins; Killian O’Boyle, Brian Óg O’Neill, Andrew Hasson
Subs: Oisin Casey for B Óg O’Neill (HT); Daniel Doherty for A Hasson (40); Pearse McTague for K O’Boyle (45); Daniel McGurk for F Kennedy (58)
Scorers: T O’Boyle 0-8 (4TP); T Hasson 1-1; E McNeill 1-1; O McMullan 0-2; J Higgins 0-1; K O’Boyle 0-1; O Casey 0-1
Éire Óg Starting XV: Jamie King; Barry McDaid, Brian O’Malley, Karl McKenna; Conor McKenna, Stephen Erskine, Conor Dixon; Ronan McKeown, Eoin Dixon; Mark O’Hanlon, Lorcan McIlroy, Brendan Shannon; Luca Mulhollan, Jarlath Devlin, Conall Smyth
Subs: Dermot Burns for C Dixon (42); Mark Graham for C Smyth (49); Ciaran Rice for S Erskine (50); John Erskine for B McDaid (52); Adam McKenna for E Dixon (57)
Scorers: E Dixon 0-3 (1TPF); C Smyth 0-2; B Shannon 0-2 (1F); C Dixon 0-2 (1F); B McDaid 0-1; K McKenna 0-1; R McKeown 0-1; L McIlroy 0-1
Referee: Eamon Elliott (Lámh Dhearg)
TO SEE MORE OF BRENDAN’S PHOTOS OF THE GAME, CLICK ON THE LINK….
https://myalbum.com/album/L8T7dTmKWG6X9H/?invite=ca9bf227-3af1-4eeb-9deb-b809fe54319a
TO SEE PHILIPS’S PHOTOS FROM THE GAME, CLICK ON THE LINK…..
https://pmcjpeg.pixieset.com/rasharkinveireog
TO SEE PADDY’S PICS FROM THE GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
